Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below shows average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The line chart below illustrates the average amount of carbon dioxide released per individual in the four countries between the two periods.

Overall, the UK had the highest CO₂ emissions throughout the period, although its figure gradually decreased. In contrast, emissions in Italy and Portugal increased, while Sweden experienced a significant decline after reaching a peak in 1977.

In 1967, the United Kingdom experienced a 10.5 metric tonnes release of carbon dioxide per person, and it did not see any change in 1977, but after these two decades, the ratio of CO2 fell until 2007. In addition to this, Sweden had a value of almost 9 metric tons of CO2 emitted per capita; then it soared to 10.2 in 1977, but after that it fell downward till 2007.

By comparison, Italy's emissions increased from approximately 4.2 tonnes per person in 1967 to 6.3 tonnes in 1977. This figure continued to rise more slowly, reaching about 7.7 tonnes in 1997, where it remained until 2007. Portugal had the lowest exhaust rate of 1.8 metric tons per individual in 1967. After that, its value rose steadily up to 4.7 in 2007, at which it had the same value as Sweden's final result.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response identifies the main patterns: the UK remains the highest emitter while declining, Sweden peaks in 1977 and then falls, and Italy and Portugal rise. It also makes useful comparisons, including Portugal and Sweden ending at similar levels. Some figures, however, are noticeably inaccurate: Portugal starts at about 1.2 tonnes, not 1.8, and ends at about 5.4, not 4.7; the UK is about 10.8 in 1967 and 10.7 in 1977 rather than 10.5 with no change. The overview is relevant, but the claim that Italy and Portugal increased could be more precise by noting that Italy levelled off after 1997. More accurate reporting and fuller coverage of these distinctions would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The four-paragraph structure is effective: an introduction and overview are followed by two paragraphs grouping the UK and Sweden, then Italy and Portugal. This gives the reader a clear route through the data, and transitions such as “In contrast” and “By comparison” help signal relationships. Some linking is less controlled or repetitive, particularly “after that” and “after these two decades,” which do not always specify the time period clearly. The UK account also says the figure fell “after these two decades,” an imprecise reference that makes the sequence harder to follow. Use more exact time references and connect comparisons directly to the relevant years to make progression smoother and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “gradually decreased,” “soared,” “continued to rise,” and “remained.” The writer also uses “per capita” appropriately. However, some choices are unnatural or imprecise for a statistical report: “experienced a … release” and “the ratio of CO2 fell” do not describe the figures naturally, while “exhaust rate” is not an appropriate term for emissions. “Fell downward” is also redundant. These choices do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Prefer standard collocations such as “emissions stood at,” “the figure declined,” and “emissions per person” when reporting values and trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex forms, including contrast clauses (“although its figure gradually decreased”) and time clauses (“where it remained until 2007”). Most sentences communicate the intended comparisons clearly. Some grammatical choices are inaccurate or awkward, however. In “experienced a 10.5 metric tonnes release,” the article and noun phrase do not fit together; a clearer structure is “emissions stood at 10.5 metric tonnes.” The phrase “after these two decades” also creates an unclear time reference, and “at which it had the same value” is an awkward relative construction. Check noun phrases, articles, and clause links, and use direct sentence patterns when describing figures. This would improve accuracy while retaining the range already attempted.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.